Love a Meeting Planner Day

January 30, 2014

As Valentines Day approaches I’m reminded that everybody needs love.

Even Meeting Planners.

I’ve worked with many different meeting planners over the years and it’s a tough job. Endless details. Complex challenges. Ego’s to manage. Negotiations. Speakers to hire (ahem). Clients to please. Sore feet. Migranes. Exhaustion. Pre-meeting anxiety, post meeting collapses. I do appreciate Meeting Planners, but I wouldn’t want to be one!

And always the unexpected. No matter how well planned an event is, something always happens that is unpredictable. Meeting Planners are often very creative in resolving problems.

So, today January 30th, is Love a Meeting Planner Day. Why? Because I said so. I declare it.

How to show the love today? Here are 10 ways:

Thank them for their hard work.

Acknowledge their good ideas. Be specific about why you like them.

Buy them flowers. Even if it’s a man. Men like flowers too (…nobody buys me flowers).

Buy them a good coffee or tea. Bring it to their desk, or, to them on the run.

Take them to lunch and pick up the tab. Some place nice!

Ask them how you can help. Then really do it.

Be vocal in your praise to those that hire them, or manage them. Better yet, write a note.

Spread the word about Love a Meeting Planner Day by posting on FB, Twitter, etc.

Buy cocktails after work. Pay for a cab home.

No kidding, the entire events industry relies on these folks to do an enormous amount of work. Given all they do it’s amazing that most meetings go off so smoothly. Please give them some love. Do it Today.